July 6th, 2486 - Planet Sanctuary, Sanctuary City - Koltura District - Pazzik’s Mechanics

Ichiro felt his jaw drop, his heart stop and his eyes bulge with abject terror. Cosmopoh squawked, in a way that reminded Ichiro of early morning birdsong back on Bungirba. Cosmopoh doubled over, sweating heavily. Abiona had one job; to keep a low profile, and let Ichiro do all the talking. She had successfully failed both in a spectacular fashion.

‘C—Cosmopoh?!’ Amarat shrieked, then her brow furrowed and she lunged at Abiona. ‘Get the long-eared one Colado!’

The male Gorguran named Colado released his hold on Chara’s shoulders, throwing her to the floor and slithering forward to throw a punch at Angora. Angora responded by simply stepping aside, raising a foot and tapping the alien in the chest with it. Colado coughed, winded; he flew backwards through the air, and collided noisily with the shutter at the back of the store. Ichiro spun, throwing himself instinctively between Abiona and Amarat, blocking Amarat’s first punch and knocking aside her follow-up kick. She wobbled, leapt back and stood beside Cosmopoh, who was regaining his senses. Abiona retreated, wiggling her way backwards as Angora strode forwards, so that Ichiro and Angora’s bodies acted as a shield wall.

‘You take the big one, I’ll take the skinny one…’ Angora hissed to Ichiro.

‘How’s that fair?!’ Ichiro asked, giving Angora a look of bewilderment.

The expression on the Bungirban’s face did all the talking, so that his mouth didn’t need to. There was a certainty, a confidence and collectedness that Ichiro hadn’t seen during their entire trip down from the Zaruzaru District Spaceport. This was the face of a man who understood combat, the face of an experienced warrior and seasoned commander … Ichiro knew that if he followed Angora’s word to the letter, he would see the other side of this fight.

‘Trust me, Ichiro’, Angora said, and Ichiro did.

Amarat jumped. Ichiro’s eyes were drawn away from Cosmopoh for a spilt second—and it was just enough time for the hulking thug to grab hold of him and toss him through the open door. Ichiro’s felt his stomach flip, but he managed to execute a summersault mid-flight and land on his haunches outside the shop, beneath the flickering neon and the fading, artificial sunlight.

*

Amarat's silvery eyes seemed almost to glow white as they latched on to Angora’s.

‘I’m guessing you’re the stronger of the two’, Amarat said, grinning wildly. ‘You correctly guessed that I was stronger than Cosmopoh … but I don’t think you’ve realised who you’re dealing with!’

‘Careful Bungirban!’ Pazzik warned, and Angora and Abiona turned to look at him in surprise. ‘That woman has mastered a Mystik Art!’

*

Ichiro raised his fists, and began to bounce on the soles of his feet. Cosmopoh approached, arms dangling at his sides, all four eyes narrowed and sparkling. Crickets and other insects called out from corners cast into shadow, by the fading light of the pale, lilac sky.

‘This doesn’t have to go down like this!’ Ichiro insisted, lowering his fists slightly. ‘You’re big and strong, I can see that—but I’m a trained soldier … one of the best in the Empire. I know close-combat techniques that’ll leave you bruised for months.’

‘Why don’t you show me … exactly how much you know’, Cosmopoh growled.

Pillars of crimson fire burst outwards from Cosmpoh’s shoulder blades, and Ichiro instantly recognised them. They were just like those flames the robed woman had attacked them with on Bungirba.

‘Strive, Wings of Atlas!’ Cosmopoh roared.

The horns on his head seemed to enlarge, growing and splitting through violet-skin. The pillars wobbled, stretched and billowed, a pair of spectral arms suddenly forming in the flame. The flame burst like a bubble and the embers died down, but the arms remained. Cosmopoh flexed the new pair of arms, bringing them to his chest and cracking the knuckles of each hand in turn. He readied the upper pair of arms, gripping the ground with the lower pair. With a sickening grin, he threw himself at Ichiro.